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Revised 8/2016
District Governor
Duties and Responsibilties
1. Serving as chair of the district cabinet.
2. Representing Ruritan National in the district and acting as
liaison between the district and Ruritan National.
3. Providing leadership and assistance to district, zone, and
club officers.
4. Assigning duties to the lieutenant governor, zone gover‑
nors, and district officers.
5. Outlining a plan of work and setting goals for district
achievement.
6. Appointing an energetic, aggressive Growth and Devel‑
opment Chair to coordinate and administer the district’s
program - one who emphasizes need for development
(new clubs) and growth (new members) .
7. Holding at least four (4) district cabinet meetings during
the year.
8. Ensuring that zone governors visit clubs early in the year
with close follow-up and assistance, especially to the
weaker clubs.
9. Setting up a master schedule of activities early in the
year to include zone schools for club officers, cabinet
meetings, club visits, and district convention.
10. Appointing committees as needed.
11. Familiarizing all cabinet members and club officers with
national bylaws, handbooks, and growth and develop‑
ment materials.
12. Preparing, with the assistance and advice of the district
treasurer, a suggested budget for the year to be approved
by the cabinet.
13. Appointing a district publicity and public relations chair.
14. Appointing a fundraising chair whose duties should
include promoting and suggesting fundraisers for clubs.
15. Appointing a district youth coordinator.
16. Publicizing and promoting national goals in the district.
17. Encouraging clubs to serve their communities more ef‑
ficiently and effectively through Ruritan.
18. Submitting requested reports promptly and assuring
that zone and club officers submit their reports promptly.
19. Seeing that a district directory is prepared and distributed
to all clubs (and copied to Ruritan National) by January
1, showing:
a. Meeting night of clubs and locations.
b. New officers’ names and addresses.
c. Zone in which club is assigned.
d. Club’s name and computer number as found in the
Club Secretary’s Handbook
.
(Recommend assign-
ment of this task to lt. governor.)
20. Being responsible for having all clubs complete com‑
munity service reports and arranging for judging of
reports received. Arrange for judging of Ruritan of the
Year applications.
21. Sending a progress report or district letter to all club
presidents monthly or quarterly. (Copy to cabinet and
Ruritan National.)
22. Supervising the collection of delinquent dues and other
monies owed to Ruritan National.
23. Appointing a Ruritan member to serve on the board of
directors of a new club as administrative advisor (with‑
out voting privileges) for the first 12 months following
charter night, if the new club has no sponsoring club.
24. In the event of a federal or state declared disaster,
the district governor will contact the Ruritan National
Executive Director and the Operation We Care Com‑
mittee chair. The district governor is also responsible
for forming a non-standing district disaster committee
to survey damage caused by a state or federal declared
emergency within the district. For more details about
Operation We Care (Ruritan National’s Disaster Relief
Program), see the section in this handbook.
Duties of the Incoming District Governor
1. Cooperating fully with the outgoing district governor in
planning and conducting instructional meetings and
other district, zone, and club activities.
2. Appointing zone governors, district secretary, district
treasurer, growth and development chair, foundation
promotion chair, and any other officer or committees
deemed necessary for the work of the district. How‑
ever, as a recommendation to the district governor,
each district may elect its own district secretary and/
or district treasurer or district secretary-treasurer, and
each zone may, at the discretion of the district cabinet,
elect its own zone governor.
3. Assisting with winter zone meetings for club officers.
4. Consulting with the outgoing district governor and out‑
going district treasurer concerning preparation of the
district budget and district convention budget.
5. Urging each club to hold a meeting of officers, directors
and committee chairs, followed by meetings of all com‑
mittees. Plans for the year’s program of work should
be completed by the January monthly club meeting.
6. Attending district officers motivational leadership de‑
velopment training in the fall and the district officers’
meeting at the Ruritan National Convention.
Duties of the Outgoing District Governor
1. Assisting in winter zone meetings to be held between
January 1 and February 15.
2. Holding district cabinet meeting with incoming and
outgoing cabinets between the district convention and
January 1.
3. Seeing that
all
district records are transferred to the
newly elected district officers.
4. Continuing full responsibilities as district governor until
January 1 and cooperate with the incoming district and
zone officers.
District